Chatham News

CHATHAM – An error in the installation of natural gas lines will set the Route 28 West Chatham Roadway Project back by at least four months.
Gas lines along about 900 feet of roadway, where the two roundabouts are to be built at the intersections of Barn Hill Road and George Ryder Road, were not installed to the required depth. Rather than tear up the existing gas lines and replace them at the correct depth, o...

More than two-thirds of the Cape’s coastal waterways and more than a third of its freshwater ponds are suffering from poor water quality, according to the “State of the Waters” report recently released by the Association to Preserve Cape Cod. But they acknowledge that Lower Cape towns have made important strides toward reducing nutrient pollution, and that it will take time for that work to start showing results....

EASTHAM – The results of a 100-page shark mitigation study were released to the public last week and among all the compiled data there was one clear message: There is no solution available that can guarantee the safety of beachgoers determined to venture into the water during peak shark season. The report, and its primary message, was the subject of a public forum held Oct. 16 at Nauset Regional High School, duri...

CHATHAM – Monomoy Regional Middle School and Chatham Elementary School will receive security upgrades thanks to a state public safety and education grant.
The $60,000 grant will pay for magnetic key card lock, replacing existing keypad locks as well as convention locks with keys, according to Superintendent of Schools Scott Carpenter.
Key card locks provide an “increased level of security,” he said. Althoug...

CHATHAM – There are Pumpkin People in Kate Gould Park again, and this Saturday they'll help usher in the Chatham Merchants Association's annual Oktoberfest celebration.
Events in the park begin at 10:30 a.m. and run through 4:30 p.m., and will include seasonal food and beverages, games for kids and music with the Chatham Band, That '60s Band and more. There will also be a “Pumpkin Patch Sidewalk Stroll” sale S...

CHATHAM – Selectmen met for an hour in executive session Monday to discuss the fish pier observation deck project, which has missed numerous completion deadlines, the latest of which was Oct. 16.
The board is “undertaking all appropriate steps” regarding the project with staff and town counsel, Selectmen Chair Shareen Davis said. She declined to be more specific.
“We're keenly aware of where we're at with t...

CHATHAM – A half century ago, Florence Seldin's family rented a cottage every summer in Wellfleet and could walk to the water just up and over a dune. One year they returned and the path ended in a sheer cliff over the beach.
“That certainly shows me what could happen here on Cape Cod,” Seldin said, referring to the threat to the peninsula from climate change.
She was one of about 50 people who attended a w...

Final Decision On Two Options Postponed
CHATHAM – Although they deferred a formal vote, several selectmen indicated Monday that they prefer a privately owned parcel on Route 28 in West Chatham as the site for a new senior center.
“I believe 1610 [Main St.] is the more functional area,” said Selectman Peter Cocolis. But, he added, echoing other board members, “I don't like the price.” Selectman Jeffrey Dyken...

The only way to be completely safe from a shark attack, a new report released Wednesday concludes, is to stay out of the water.
The $50,000 study by the Woods Hole Group analyzed 27 shark mitigation alternatives but did not recommend any single or group of solutions. The report concludes that current practices, such as “shark smart” education, heightened awareness and emergency measures such as stop the bleed ...

CHATHAM — In news that causes town officials plenty of dismay but little surprise, the contractor replacing the observation deck at the fish pier has missed the final project deadline.
After multiple delays and change orders, Sciaba Construction Corp. and the town agreed on a final extension of the project completion date of Oct. 16. As of press time, it was clear that the deadline would be missed. Healt...

This is the first of two stories examining the draft master plan update for Chatham Municipal Airport.
CHATHAM – Much of the attention being given to the update of the Chatham Municipal Airport Master Plan has been devoted to the proposal to allow direct instrument approach landings. But the thick, 10-chapter study, still in the development stage, contains other significant proposals which could change the ...

CHATHAM – The summer residents have gone and the leaves are falling from the trees. Must be about time for the Pumpkin People to make their return.
Indeed, this Friday, Oct. 18, members of the Chatham Merchants Association will be marching into Kate Gould Park to set up their autumnal creations in the group's annual Pumpkin People in the Park display, which runs through Oct. 29.
This year's Oktoberfest cele...